Yusen
Yusen was the captain of a troop of some fifty male and female Malazan mercenaries which gave every sign of being composed of experienced veterans of one of the various Imperial Malazan Armies. Yusen, in particular, displayed a bearing and demeanour which "fairly shouted imperial service" as an officer. Yusen's full armour consisted of a leather and iron-banded hauberk; iron greaves and vambraces; mail skirting; and an iron helmet with nose guard and long, blackened camail that hung to his shoulders. The mercenary captain was an older man with greying and receding hair; a lined mouth; and "many deep wrinkles around his always tightened eyes" - which were pale blue in colour and possessed of a "glittering gaze" which was characteristically bright as well as sharp.Blood and Bone, Chapter 1, US HC p.41-43Blood and Bone, Chapter 2, US HC p.93Blood and Bone, Chapter 10, US HC p.389Blood and Bone, Chapter 12, US HC p.454Blood and Bone, Chapter 15, US HC p.553 Yusen's deep concern and thoughtful treatment of the women and men under his command were repaid by their trust and extreme loyalty to him.Blood and Bone, Chapter 7, US HC p.257-267Blood and Bone, Chapter 8, US HC p.298-315Blood and Bone, Chapter 10, US HC p.389-390Blood and Bone, Chapter 12, US HC p.453-456Blood and Bone, Chapter 15, US HC p.564 In Blood and Bone The most recent employer of Yusen's mercenaries was the sorceress, Spite, who had transported the troop by ship to the Isle of Jacuruku - specifically, to Jacuruku's most northern coast where the Dolmens of Tien, Spite's goal, were located.Blood and Bone, Chapter 1, US HC p.41-42/44 Spite had also brought along two mages to help her retrieve a fragment of the Crippled God which in the past had undergone a Chaining which had placed it underground in the center the Dolmens. Mercenaries were assigned by Yusen to assist Spite and the mages in "freeing" the fragment.Blood and Bone, Chapter 2, US HC p.94-97Blood and Bone, Chapter 3, US HC p.112-114 Subsequent events - involving a great deal of magical activity which freed a small, black stone box containing the dangerously powerful fragment - but which also inadvertently led to the imprisonment of Spite in its place - found Yusen and his troop marooned by the secret departure of the hired ship that had brought them all to the island. This forced Yusen to make the decision that the mercenaries - carrying the boxed shard with them in an improvised stretcher - had to head southward and eastward. This meant that the mercenaries had to travel through the extremely hostile environment of the Jungle of Himatan in search of a way off the island. Thus began Yusen's and his troopers' extended, strenuous, disastrously eventful trek through the dangerous Himatan Jungle.Blood and Bone, Chapter 3, US HC p.113-116Blood and Bone, Chapter 4, US HC p.154-156Blood and Bone, Chapter 7, US HC p.255/261-265Blood and Bone, Chapter 8, US HC p.305-306 Amongst other problems and situations that Yusen and his troopers had to deal with, it became apparent that the strong magical 'aura' of the shard that they carried was attracting other parties and individuals who were determined to obtain the extremely powerful fragment for themselves. One of the mercenaries' biggest threats came from Skinner and his Disavowed Crimson Guard members who did their best to take the shard away from them. This - ultimately unsuccessful - attempt led to an extended chase of Yusen and the Malazans by the Disavowed in and out of the Realm of ShadowBlood and Bone, Chapter 10, US HC p.379-389 Yusen and his troopers, deep in the Himatan Jungle, encountered the Enchantress - who at that time was hiding the extent of her true power and was going by the alias, "Rissan" - along with her Seguleh bodyguard, Ina. The 'disguised' T'riss and Ina accompanied Yusen's band for the remainder of the way to Jakal Viharn, the center of power of Ardata - which was, at that point, both groups' mutual goal.Blood and Bone, Chapter 13, US HC p.486-490Blood and Bone, Chapter 14, US HC p.534-535 T'riss - her usual self again - having dealt decisively with Ardata, listened to Yusen's request for "transport out of Jacuruku" for his troopers and himself. Yusen was told by T'riss that she would send them wherever they wished to go. First though, T'riss wanted to give Yusen some news that had recently come from the city of Aren in Seven Cities, which impacted Yusen and his Malazan mercenaries, and which could greatly affect their decision of exactly where they would wish to be sent. As became clear, Yusen and his troopers were renegades from a Malazan Army unit that had been stationed in Aren. From the information given to them by T'riss, they learned that the acts which had caused their flight from Aren, and had then led to their becoming mercenaries, had - after deeper investigation - been fully pardoned. After discussing with his troopers their changed circumstances, and the now possible options open to them, a decision was made to accept the imperial pardon and to return to the Malazan Army. However, Yusen, careful and cautious as usual, decided that they would not return straight to Aren, but "would request to be sent to some minor frontier outpost" - in Genabackis perhaps - so as to be able to test the "truth" of the pardon and of the rescinding of the prices which had been placed on all their heads.Blood and Bone, Chapter 15, US HC p.551-555/561-564/568 Known members of the Malazan mercenaries * Yusen - Captain * Bait * Burastan - Lieutenant * Crazy-eye * Cryseth * Dee * Manat * Murk - Mage * Ostler * Sour - Mage * Squint - Senior Scout * Sweetly - Senior Scout * Tanner Quotes Notes and references Category:Males Category:Malazans Category:Soldiers Category:Captains